@gulberat: This was a very thoughtful, poetic entry: you really do an amazing job of exploring Alyosha's very human emotions, and how sensitive and compassionate a character he is. It's so easy for "hundreds" to be a statistic, and in this case to assign the blame to where it properly belongs at Starfleet Command, that it says volumes about him that he blames himself and feels the loss of the Indomitable so deeply...

I'm not really 100% sure that all of the fault lies with Starfleet Command...it probably depends on the level at which a distress-call response was expected to be organized (whether at the admiral level, or the captain level). Still, Starfleet Command could've helped by putting in some kind of protocol to at least warn a ship that was actually attempting to lay in a quantum slipstream or transwarp course to that station that it was prohibited.

I think Alyosha will always feel that he bears some responsibility for what happened, though, and feel that he should've spoken sooner and not assumed.

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Originally Posted by zidanetribal

@gulberat: I think "The Interdictor" was an excellent story which adds a layer of fallibility to Strannik. Out of the involved parties, though, I think Strannik is the least culpable in the endeavor, if mainly because Sengupta was too eager to jump the gun. Of course, this is from my point of view.

Sengupta did make a huge error in that he closed the channel without confirming his arrival time or discussing strategy with Strannik. Sadly, I suspect Sengupta was overconfident (he was a cruiser commander, after all, probably thought--to put it in game terms--that he could tank anything, in comparison to Strannik in the little glass cannon). So I would definitely say part of it was Sengupta's error, too.

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Originally Posted by marcusdkane

Ahh, I hadn't realized that... I'd guessed that larger ships like the Enterprise-F would have a transwarp drive, where the Valkyrie wouldn't, but I'd got the impression that it was more a case of where they needed clearance from Command to use transwarp :-\

Quantum slipstream seems to be a routine thing. Transwarp is mainly done by transwarp gates to certain set destinations, though you can purchase (at a significant expense in-game) a consumable device that expands your list of destinations significantly.

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I would imagine that he found the Bridge Commander's exam a hard one to pass :-\

I expect it was, too, though to him there is a difference between a senseless death or a murder, and a death by someone who swore to do his duty, and gave his life for something truly meaningful. But I am sure that was a difficult understanding for him to come to. The command track was not really open to science officers when he was at the Academy after all, and he chose science.

I am still not sure what happened to prompt him to seek command once that track opened to science officers, but at some point it did happen.

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It would certainly be an interesting scenario to read, and I hope that it is an LC which gets posted at some point, it would be great to see the challenges our resident crews would have to encounter and overcome

Indeed! There are a LOT of court-martial offenses out there, not to mention other things that could trigger a board of inquiry.

And it would also be interesting to see what would cause the Klingons to open a legal proceeding rather than just solving it by a duel...

Quantum slipstream seems to be a routine thing. Transwarp is mainly done by transwarp gates to certain set destinations, though you can purchase (at a significant expense in-game) a consumable device that expands your list of destinations significantly.

Ahh, I see where I was going wrong, I was confusing the idea of an onboard quantum slipstream drive with the transwarp gates... I still feel Captain Sengupta jumped the gun though, and was a bit too gung-ho in that situation...

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Originally Posted by gulberat

I expect it was, too, though to him there is a difference between a senseless death or a murder, and a death by someone who swore to do his duty, and gave his life for something truly meaningful. But I am sure that was a difficult understanding for him to come to.

Indeed, it would definitely have been an interesting process or occurence which enabled him to 'see the light' as it were on that subject...

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Originally Posted by gulberat

The command track was not really open to science officers when he was at the Academy after all, and he chose science.

I am still not sure what happened to prompt him to seek command once that track opened to science officers, but at some point it did happen.

I have to admit, I think it always has been open to science officers... Spock was science through and through, yet was considered to be Kirk's first officer and commanded the Enterprise on occasion, and was given command when promoted to captain. I don't think that the science track necessarily 'dead ends' when someone hits the rank of commander, I guess it's just a case of if an officer is in the position to then be given a command... For example, when Alyosha served under Captain Teeglar, was he merely Teeglar's 'spare pare of hands', as Riker was for Picard, or did he still maintain a functional position, like Spock did for Kirk? Ironically, while writing that, I've just realized this of my own captain's first officers:

As you know, one of those characters was a 'fifth wheel' and had to be 'removed from the roster', so that may shed light into Alyosha's service as first officer...

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Originally Posted by gulberat

Indeed! There are a LOT of court-martial offenses out there, not to mention other things that could trigger a board of inquiry.

And it would also be interesting to see what would cause the Klingons to open a legal proceeding rather than just solving it by a duel...

Absolutely I've always seen Amanda as keeping her nose pretty clean when it comes to stuff like that, but beaming a tricobalt device onto an enemy ship at the instant of down-warping, before offering them a chance to surrender, could probably earn her a slapped wrist from the Admiralty... I would say that S'rR's pretty much sending Yurass and his parliament to their dooms might fall under a similar category, but, she's a) no longer a Starfleet officer, so no longer bound by those codes, or even by the Prime Directive, b) legitimately fulfilling her duties as ambassador, by arranging diplomatic audiences for her sovereign, and c) letting the behavior of Yurass and co determine their fate with the Empress

For example, when Alyosha served under Captain Teeglar, was he merely Teeglar's 'spare pare of hands', as Riker was for Picard, or did he still maintain a functional position, like Spock did for Kirk?

I would imagine he still served at least somewhat as a science officer.

And I agree that in the 23rd century a career didn't dead-end because of being in science. However, I got the impression that by the 24th century--at least for a time--it did. Then Janeway started to break that precedent.

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I would say that S'rR's pretty much sending Yurass and his parliament to their dooms might fall under a similar category, but, she's a) no longer a Starfleet officer, so no longer bound by those codes, or even by the Prime Directive, b) legitimately fulfilling her duties as ambassador, by arranging diplomatic audiences for her sovereign, and c) letting the behavior of Yurass and co determine their fate with the Empress

I may have missed something...but would the Empress execute Yurass and company if she disapproved of them?

I would imagine he still served at least somewhat as a science officer.

I think a good example of how the Riker-esque first officers really were pointless, was the episode of TNG where the crew developed amnesia, and an alien agent provocateur was placed on board in the role of first officer... The computer was tampered with to amend Riker and Data's positions irrespective of their ranks, and Riker and the 'first officer' were both left sitting next to Picard, still essentially doing nothing

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Originally Posted by gulberat

And I agree that in the 23rd century a career didn't dead-end because of being in science. However, I got the impression that by the 24th century--at least for a time--it did. Then Janeway started to break that precedent.

I have to admit, I think it was probably more a case of a person's career steering them in a particular direction, rather than them not being afforded the position... For example, I imagine Alyosha would have had offers from various technical institutes and colleges to work at and lecture at, in addition to the promotion to captain, and I would imagine that for some, their love of science, would take them away from Starfleet service, rather than the higher echelons of command. There was a Crewman (I think his name was Harran) aboard Voyager who had enlisted simply to get practical experience to further his planned academic career, I think it just depended on where someone wanted to go with their career

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Originally Posted by gulberat

I may have missed something...but would the Empress execute Yurass and company if she disapproved of them?

The best word to describe the Empress, is 'mercurial'... To answer the question specifically, if they were on their Best Behavior, probably not. But, I couldn't say that it couldn't happen if they did something to piss her off...

And it would also be interesting to see what would cause the Klingons to open a legal proceeding rather than just solving it by a duel...

Ooh, I have a few ideas...

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Originally Posted by marcusdkane

I think a good example of how the Riker-esque first officers really were pointless, was the episode of TNG where the crew developed amnesia, and an alien agent provocateur was placed on board in the role of first officer... The computer was tampered with to amend Riker and Data's positions irrespective of their ranks, and Riker and the 'first officer' were both left sitting next to Picard, still essentially doing nothing

I disagree. They were both advising Picard throughout the episode (delivering bad advice, but still) and then throughout the series Riker was always the guy on the ground with the away teams, the interface between the command staff and the crew (very necessary when you have a crew of that size) and he took over the ship when Picard was off at some archaeology conference or getting heart surgery or getting assimilated or whatever.

I think especially for large ships, having a first officer who is little more or less than extra set of eyes, ears and hands for the Captain (and occasionally voicing a differing opinion so his Captain sees all the angles of a situation) is absolutely essential.

And it would also be interesting to see what would cause the Klingons to open a legal proceeding rather than just solving it by a duel...

If actual canon is anything to go by, the Klingons are less adverse to legal actions than one might think. There was, after all, Kirk's trial in STVI, and IIRC, there was an episode of DS9 (during the brief Fed-Klingon War arc) that had a Klingon prosecutor trying to pin war crimes on Worf during an inquiry.

I disagree. They were both advising Picard throughout the episode (delivering bad advice, but still) and then throughout the series Riker was always the guy on the ground with the away teams, the interface between the command staff and the crew (very necessary when you have a crew of that size) and he took over the ship when Picard was off at some archaeology conference or getting heart surgery or getting assimilated or whatever.

I think especially for large ships, having a first officer who is little more or less than extra set of eyes, ears and hands for the Captain (and occasionally voicing a differing opinion so his Captain sees all the angles of a situation) is absolutely essential.

Yes, I guess to be fair, Riker did have that function of giving Picard additional options and opinions, if not a specific console to operate. And equally, I would write away missions etc for a first officer, and have no trouble with them actually 'doing something', it was just while on the bridge that I found them twiddling their thumbs (or firing on Borg ships )

Yes, I guess to be fair, Riker did have that function of giving Picard additional options and opinions, if not a specific console to operate. And equally, I would write away missions etc for a first officer, and have no trouble with them actually 'doing something', it was just while on the bridge that I found them twiddling their thumbs (or firing on Borg ships )

I know what you mean. My first officer Marq felt totally useless this round. But then again I just had him on Facility 4028 where he was practically running the show for the good Admiral, and when I introduced I showed he was totally capable of command (at least in a combat simulation...)

I know what you mean. My first officer Marq felt totally useless this round. But then again I just had him on Facility 4028 where he was practically running the show for the good Admiral, and when I introduced I showed he was totally capable of command (at least in a combat simulation...)

I'm sure Marq will get the chance to come to the fore again in the future Equally, I hope a future LC gives you the chance to expand on Miss Zain, I think she's going to have an interesting story behind her

I'm sure Marq will get the chance to come to the fore again in the future Equally, I hope a future LC gives you the chance to expand on Miss Zain, I think she's going to have an interesting story behind her

Yeah, right now she's just a PWO DOff with way too much job satisfaction. But she does amuse me, and I would like to see her grow into a real person.